Why I Hit Pause on My Newsletter for a Year

Real talk, reading recs, and restarting the newsletter adventure.

It's been a minute. Actually, it's been a year.

This morning, I asked ChatGPT if pausing on a project that wasn't going exactly how you envisioned had any benefits. It listed ten. Likely, it would've listed more had I asked it to, but ten seems to fit the bill. 

Starting around this time last year, I found myself in the familiar position of taking on just enough work that any additional project or personal issue had the potential to throw me completely off course. Case in point: a fallout with a client. Although the red flags had been had been waving for a while, when it finally happened, it was unexpectedly jarring. It's possible I'm dramatizing by using “fallout" - in reality, I had been struggling to create boundaries, saying no, and speaking up for myself - all things I did in quick succession in ending that professional relationship. If you don't know your limits, sometimes they'll make themselves known to you - abruptly.

Amid the business hustle and the chaos of deciding where I wanted my work to go next, this newsletter naturally took a backseat. It wasn’t just a time issue; I didn't want this to be a bland rundown of my monthly activities without the personal touch that makes it mine.

I'd hoped for this newsletter to be more than a list. I wanted it to be a reflection of my growth, both professionally and personally. But there was an internal block: a desire for everything to be just right (Kate Arends recently referred to it as “goldilocking,” Anneli Hansson used the Swedish term “lagom”) I kept waiting for the perfect moment when all my thoughts would align, but that moment never came. Life is rarely that organized, and neither are my thoughts, intentions, and desires. The beauty of it, though, is in its imperfection; the off-the-cuff reflections, the unexpected lessons, and the candid updates that make it genuine.

So, here's the plan: I'm diving back into the newsletter, but without the self-imposed pressure for perfection. Real, unfiltered updates, coffee spills and all. I'm excited to pick up from where I left off and to embrace the authenticity that comes from being genuine, which, as some of you know from years ago, Dolly definitely said I was.

THANK YOU!

There was a time when I thought really seriously about moving to L.A. (or NY, but probably the former) to try my hand at screenwriting. I wrote several spec scripts and studied even more of them. It's probably no surprise then, this series on Instagram has become one of my favorite and most DM'd-about posts. (Spoiler: The next one is on Hacks)

What are unexpected places you've found business or life inspo?

Recommended Reading

· Gloria Mark, Attention Span
I can't overestimate the number of times I've referenced, recommended, and re-read this book in the past six months. I might be in my learning era, but I've learned so much about productivity and how the mind/body works when you're trying to focus but can't.

· Abraham Verghese, The Covenant of Water
The novel follows an Indian Christian family in Kerala, from matriarch Mariamma to her writer son and doctor descendants, all shadowed by a drowning curse. It's got a global cast, including Scottish and Swedish doctors, and how they're all connected is fascinating. It's a beast (700+ pages) but I loved it.

· Ann Patchett, Tom Lake
The more I read of Ann Patchett, the more I like her. We could be friends, probably. Tom Lake is based around a girl who plays the lead character, Emily, in Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, several times in her life and the unexpected places and people one role reveals.

· Sofia Coppola Archive
This is a photography-centered art book featuring the work of writer/director Sofia Coppola. I haven't had time to fully appreciate it yet, but I love learning about her methods, references, collaborators, and working processes.

· Thomas Kemeny, Junior: Writing Your Way Ahead in Advertising
I stumbled across an article Thomas Kemeny wrote a few weeks ago and found out about this book, which is basically a guide to copywriting and creative directing in advertising. Its format is a little unconventional, but if you work in advertising or anything advertising-adjacent, you will likely enjoy his insight as a former Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and Mother New York.

· Andrew Fatato & Dave Haller, Handbook for Hacks
This is such a fun book from the guys at the ad agency, Major. This is a book about how to have ad ideas. We're talking methods, principles, executions, and more. 

5 Things I Think You'll Like

1. The Boutique Lawyer - If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've recommended this account before but it's a great resource for freelancers, entrepreneurs, or anyone who doesn't YET have an attorney. If you want legal pointers about things you can add to contracts to make sure you're covered, this is a great place to start.

2. Notion - There are several apps out there now that do similar things but Notion is my favorite. It's a single space where you can think, write, and plan. Capture thoughts, manage projects, or even run an entire company (people do!) — and do it exactly the way you want. It's been around for a minute, so there are tons of YouTube tutorials that can walk you through getting set up. This is a pinned tab for me and the best place to have all of my information, both professional and personal.

3. Tonic Site Shop - Speaking + Presentation Canva Slide Deck - Again, if you follow me on social media, you know I'm obsessed with Tonic Site Shop, but more recently, I've been obsessed with their templates for presentation slide decks. I have seen SO many terrible pitch documents and Zoom presentations over the past couple of years (and I know I'm not alone) -if you want to elevate anything you're working on, this is the ticket. (You'll be seeing this a lot on my YouTube channel)

4. Made by James - Do you follow James Martin of Baby Giant yet? He's a UK-based logo designer, author, and educator who is making some of the best content I've seen for freelancers and designers specifically, but really, anyone who has questions about what they should charge, what and how to actually deliver to clients, how to build a case study, and say, the difference between a brand identity and visual identity.

5. The Hedley & Bennett Essential Apron - I know, this feels random. As I've been learning and unlearning about how I best work, I've come to understand the importance of both rote work (things you do without using much mental energy) and challenges. Growing up, our home wasn't a culinary hub, but we enjoyed good food. It wasn't until I met my boyfriend and his food-loving friends that I began to see cooking as an art that combines the rote with the challenge. Gratefully, cooking is a skill one can acquire. After receiving a top-notch knife from him, this year's highlight was getting a top-tier apron for myself!

In case I buried the lede…

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You can support me by buying audiobooks through Libro.fm, or books through Bookshop.org; you can read my stuff on Medium, visit my website, forward this email to a friend, or best of all, refer me to your friends and co-workers who need copywriters, writers, or content producers (you know they need help). 

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